he
first the shabby building with its old red and gold, its air of
belonging to any period earlier than the one it was just then amusing,
its attitude, above all, of indifference to its aspect--all this had
attracted her and won her affection. London, she discovered, was always
best when it was shabbiest and one could not praise it more highly than
by declaring, with perfect truth, that it was the shabbiest city in the
world. Now, feeling instinctively that English apprentices (she had had
already some taste of the Covent Garden chorus) would act too much or
too little, she closed her eyes.

Now, as the music reached her, the old red and gold seemed a cage,
swinging, swinging higher and ever higher with old Lady Carloes and
Roddy Seddon and all the brilliant people in the stalls, and all the
enthusiastic people in the gallery, swinging, swinging inside it. She
could feel the lift of it, the rise and fall, and almost the clearer air
about her as it rose into the stars.

Then there came to her the voice for which she had surely all her days
been waiting. It enwrapped her round and comforted her, consoled her for
all her sorrows, reassured her for all her fears. It filled the cage and
the air beyond the cage, it was of earth and of heaven, and of all
things good and beautiful in this world and the next.

For the second time to-day her early years came back to her; the voice
had in it all those hours when someone's tenderness had made Life worth
living. "Life is immortal," it cried. "And I am immortal, for I am Love
and Charity, and, whatever the wise ones may tell you, I cannot die."
She felt again the space and the silence and the snow, but now with no
alarm, only utter reassurance. And the cage swung up and up and there
were now only the stars and the wind around and about them.

Then, in an instant of time, the cage, with a crash, was upon the
ground. Across her world had cut Lady Carloes' voice--"Oh yes, and
there's Lord Crewner--no, not in that row--the one behind--next that
woman with the silver thing in her hair--four from the end----"

And Roddy Seddon's voice--"Yes, I see him. Who's he got with him?"

Lady Carloes again: "I can't quite see--Miss Mendle as likely as
not.... You know, old Aggie Mendle's daughter...."

Rachel felt in that moment that murder was assuredly no crime. Her hands
shook on her lap and one of those passions, that she had not known for
many months, caught her so that she could have tor